The Importance of Light Therapy to Kids

According to Rush University Medical Center researchers who published their findings in the journal SLEEP, bright light like https://www.solbasium.com/product/helios-red-light-bed/ treatment and time management tools may help youngsters control their sleep cycles for better and longer sleep. Researchers noticed that individuals felt less worn out and irritated after using therapy and behavioral strategies.

Teenagers go through a lot of changes, according to Stephanie J. Crowley, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Rush University and the program’s director for pediatric chronobiology and sleep research. One in particular is a modification to sleep biology that takes place during puberty.

According to research, there are two opposing forces at work in a teen’s brain: one pushes them to regulate their sleep by going to bed earlier throughout the school year. Teenagers can stay up quite late because to a biological drive that is also present.

According to research from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the National Sleep Foundation, teenagers require 8 to 10 hours of sleep every night to maintain their physical and mental well-being as well as their academic performance. Yet, the study found that teenagers frequently obtain fewer than 8 hours of sleep every night, particularly on evenings when they have classes.

A two-week intervention was carried out by Rush University researchers to assist teenagers in developing healthier bedtime routines. The research team sought to fight the pervasive problem of sleep deprivation in teens by using behavioral strategies that target the circadian rhythm.

According to the findings, teens who took part in the intervention went to bed 1.5 hours sooner and slept for almost an additional hour overall. Teenagers with delayed circadian clocks, according to Crowley, “shifted by up to 2 hours sooner.”

The youngsters claimed to be more focused and felt less anxious and angry after two weeks. They also said that in the morning they felt more attentive.

The time management intervention was beneficial for teens of all ages, including those whose circadian clocks did not need to change.

“They [simply] required the behavioral help of attempting to manage their time in the evening and enhance their sleep length,” Crowley stated in the news release.

To determine if individuals maintained their better sleep habit, researchers are reassessing subjects.